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Zoe Paget is the customer services manager at YourVets. Her role includes managing the company's call centre, social media marketing, working with the marketing department to develop customer care initiatives and reporting service levels to the company's directors
]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1031hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1031British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Vet Record Careers1769iiihttp://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/ii?rss=1
Hannah Jordan, parliamentary intern to Lord Trees, is in thoughtful mood as she reflects on February's events, both personal and professional.
]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1032hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1032British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Vet Record Careers1769iiiihttp://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/210?rss=1

GIVEN that it is almost 50 years since the RCVS last updated its Royal Charter, the introduction of a new charter for the College is a significant event and one that could affect the development of the veterinary profession in the UK for decades to come. The new charter came into effect on February 17 having been approved by the Privy Council in November following endorsement at the College's annual general meeting in July (VR, July 19, 2014, vol 175, p 57), and less than 18 months after the RCVS first consulted the profession and the public on what it should contain (VR, December 21, 2013, vol 173, p 595). That this has been achieved in such a short timescale is remarkable, particularly when compared with the protracted and not always fruitful discussions that have taken place over the years about updating the Veterinary Surgeons Act. The...]]>

THE BVA has published its strategic plan for 2015 to 2017, describing it as an ‘ambitious three-year programme to strengthen BVA's position as the voice of the veterinary profession and to ensure we provide the right support for all our members, from vet school through to retirement’.

The plan sets out the BVA's vision, mission and values as well as four strategic aims for the next three years, and some specific actions for the Association to take in each area. The four aims are:

Being an effective voice for the veterinary profession;

Delivering improved value and support for BVA members;

Building relationships and working in partnership; and

Ensuring the BVA has the resources it needs to be effective.

Among the actions to be taken, the strategic plan commits the BVA to reviewing its governance structure to make it more effective...]]>

THE RCVS has announced that it is to commit £1 million to the Mind Matters initiative, which is aiming to help address mental health and wellbeing issues in the veterinary profession.

The five-year initiative was launched in December last year (VR, December 20/27, 2014, vol 175, p 602) and the RCVS says that its Operational Board has agreed to £100,000 of funding for the first year of the initiative, with a view to a similar amount each year for the subsequent four years. It also intends to contribute approximately £500,000 over the next five years to the Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme (VSHSP), which is run by the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) and offers a confidential service aiming to combat problems with alcohol, drugs, eating disorders and other addictive and mental health issues. This money is a continuation of previous RCVS funding and, the College says, effectively...]]>

THE Welsh Government will be holding a further consultation on its proposed regulations introducing the compulsory microchipping of dogs. Rebecca Evans, the deputy minister for farming and food in Wales, announced on February 16 that she had decided that the consultation would be required to gather views on some specific elements that were being proposed for inclusion in the legislation.

The microchipping of dogs in Wales was originally due to become compulsory on March 1 this year. However, in September 2014, Ms Evans announced that this date was unlikely to be met. In a written statement at the time, she said that she had asked for the draft Animal Welfare (Identification of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations to be withdrawn following a report from the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee of the National Assembly for Wales, and had asked her officials to revisit the legislation. ‘I will ensure the...]]>

THE whole of the veterinary nursing profession in the UK became a regulated profession on February 17 as the new RCVS Royal Charter took effect.

The new charter – the first for the RCVS since 1967 – received the Great Seal of the Realm and was collected from the House of Lords last week by Gordon Hockey, the RCVS Registrar, and Jeff Gill, policy consultant. It had previously been approved at a meeting of the Privy Council on November 5, 2014 (VR, November 15, 2014, vol 175, p 472).

Following the introduction of the new charter, there are no longer any ‘listed’ veterinary nurses, and all those who were formerly on the College's List have been moved to the Register of Veterinary Nurses, meaning that they can use the postnominals RVN. As a result, they will now be expected to undertake a minimum of 45 hours of...]]>

The RCVS has announced that it is now possible for veterinary surgeons to pay their annual retention fees by debit card. The fees are due by March 31 and those who have not paid by April 30 will be charged an extra £35 to renew their registration. Any veterinary surgeon who has not paid by May 31 will be removed from the RCVS Register.

Corrie McCann, director of operations at the RCVS, said: ‘Following feedback from the profession, this year, thanks to a change in our registration regulations, we are able to accept debit card payments which we hope will make the renewal process much easier and more convenient for our members. Furthermore, members will also no longer be charged if they choose to pay their fee by credit card.’

The change to the registration regulations also means that vets now have a choice of using either...]]>

THE Association for Veterinary Teaching and Research Work (AVTRW) has decided on a new format for its annual conference this year.

In recent years, the association has been holding its conference alongside that of the British Society of Animal Science. However, following consultation with its membership, the AVTRW's council has now decided to hold the annual conference separately in September each year.

The new meeting format will focus on veterinary researchers at an early stage of their careers and, the AVTRW hopes, will provide them with an excellent opportunity to present their work and engage with more senior research scientists in a relaxed and supportive environment. The conference venue will be rotated annually around the veterinary schools in the UK and Ireland, with the first meeting due to take place at the Royal Veterinary College on September 2 and 3 this year.

THE African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN) launched the second phase of its educational programme for African veterinarians at the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) conference last month. Vets throughout Africa will soon start to have access to online clinical reference resources from the NAVC/American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) VetFolio platform and to the Canis and Felis resources produced by Vetstream.

AFSCAN, which is an initiative of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, launched its education project ‘Distance learning for colleagues in Africa’ in April 2014. It has since carried out research and appointed veterinarian ‘country ambassadors’ in Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The country ambassadors have provided AFSCAN with lists of the veterinarians in their countries and each will now be provided with a user name and password allowing them to access the online material at a significant discount. This year, 700 veterinarians are set...]]>

VETS wanting information on the level of resistance to commonly used antibiotics in their region of the UK can now find such information on a newly launched website.

IDEXX Laboratories has developed Pet Resist (www.petresist.com), a website that maps the levels of antibiotic resistance recorded in cats and dogs by the company over the past five years. It says that users will be able to see geographical variations in resistance to the top 10 antibiotics used in cats and dogs. It says that visitors to the site can select their postcode area, choose from a range of commonly used antibiotics and suspected organisms; they will then be able to see the level of resistance based on historical data for the previous five years, and use this to help choose appropriate therapies.

2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1064hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1064British Veterinary Association2015-02-28News and Reports1769215215http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/215-a?rss=1
New MD for IFAH-Europe

The International Federation for Animal Health Europe (IFAH-Europe), which represents the European animal health industry, has appointed Roxane Feller as its new managing director. A lawyer by training, Ms Feller was previously director of the Economic Department in FoodDrinkEurope, an umbrella organisation representing the European food and drink manufacturing industry. Before this, she worked for 14 years at Copa-Cogeca, the European farmers and agri-cooperatives. She took up her new role on February 24.

Ultrasonography of uterine infections in cattle

A guide to ultrasonography of uterine infections in cattle has been produced by BCF, a supplier of veterinary ultrasound equipment, in collaboration with veterinary surgeon John Dawson, senior partner at Willows Veterinary Group. The guide describes how ultrasonography can be used to identify various uterine infections, and how it is particularly useful in subtle cases of endometritis in which no abnormalities can be...]]>

2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1073hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1073British Veterinary Association2015-02-28News in Brief1769215215http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/216?rss=1
One hundred and fifty ‘equine enthusiast’ veterinary students gathered at Bristol veterinary school's Langford campus earlier this month for a national student equine veterinary symposium. A wide-ranging programme of lectures, practicals and seminars gave participants an opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced equine clinicians in the UK. Lorna Sowerbutts, vice-president of the Bristol Equine Veterinary Society, reports
]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1005hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1005British Veterinary Association2015-02-28News and Reports1769216217http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/218?rss=1

THE RCVS Disciplinary Committee has dismissed a former veterinary surgeon's third application for restoration to the RCVS Register, expressing its ‘surprise and concern’ at the applicant's lack of preparation for the restoration hearing.

The RCVS reports that Warwick Seymour-Hamilton was removed from the Register in 1994 following an inspection of his premises in Orpington, Kent. At that time, it reports, the condition of his premises, equipment and facilities ‘was so poor that it constituted a risk to the health and welfare of animals brought to the practice and brought the profession into disrepute’.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton applied to be restored to the RCVS Register in July 1995 and June 2010. However, the College reports, both applications were refused on the grounds of poor preparation for returning to practice life as ‘in both cases, Mr Seymour-Hamilton had made no attempt to engage in CPD or to visit and observe...]]>

DEFRA and the Welsh and Scottish governments are seeking views on proposals for changing the way some bovine TB statistics are calculated and reported. They are also asking for opinions on how the statistics might be presented at different geographical levels and how frequently the headline statistics, such as the incidence rate, should be published.

A consultation document, published on February 11, explains that the current headline statistic reported is calculated as the number of new TB herd incidents where a herd's Officially TB Free (OTF) status has been withdrawn as a proportion of the number of tests carried out on OTF herds. It points out that this method is influenced by the amount of testing carried out, meaning, for example, that if testing increases over time in parts of Great Britain where there is less TB in cattle, the disease incidence can appear to decline. The...]]>

AN event at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London on February 9 marked the publication of the second edition of the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS). The event was streamed live on the ODI's website, allowing viewers from around the world to listen to the discussion and question the speakers. It provided an opportunity for people to learn more about the LEGS approach and to discuss wider issues surrounding livelihood-based support to livestock keepers in emergencies.

The first edition of the LEGS was published in 2009 in response to concerns that, in emergencies, interventions dealing with livestock were often inappropriate, poorly designed, or delivered too late. The LEGS project organisers note that, in areas where natural or man-made disasters occur, the rush to put humanitarian aid in place can often result in livestock being overlooked, yet millions of people worldwide depend on livestock for their...]]>

2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1074hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1074British Veterinary Association2015-02-28News and Reports1769219219http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/220?rss=1
Zoonotic diseases are a significant burden on animal and human health, particularly in developing countries. Despite recognition of this fact, endemic zoonoses often remain undiagnosed in people, instead being mistaken for febrile diseases such as malaria. Here, as part of Veterinary Record's ongoing series of articles on One Health, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Scotland, Tanzania and New Zealand argues that a One Health approach is needed to effectively combat these diseases
]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h798hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h798British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Feature1769220225http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/226?rss=1

THE UK is fortunate to have a Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS). A paper summarised on p 229 of this issue of Veterinary Record by Bates and Edwards (2014) concerning benzalkonium chloride (BAC) exposure in cats is testament to the excellent database analyses VPIS conducts as part of its mission. It is pertinent that during the period studied, only one case of feline BAC intoxication was reported in the adverse drug reaction database of the Center for Veterinary Medicines in the USA, with another single case recorded by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, while the VPIS recorded 245 cases.

Although the paper is retrospective, the data is sufficiently robust to paint an evidence-based clinical picture for both owners and the veterinary team confronted with the management of such patients. The number of cases Bates and Edwards reviewed is huge, reflecting the commonness and importance of...]]>

2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.h1119hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.h1119British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Research1769226228http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/229?rss=1
Benzalkonium chloride is commonly found in household products. This retrospective study examined 245 cases of feline exposure to benzalkonium chloride-containing products reported to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS). A single route of exposure was reported in 188 cats (ingestion 126, skin 58, buccal 4); 57 cats had multiple routes. The common products involved were household antibacterial cleaners (43.6 per cent), household disinfectants (22.3 per cent) and patio cleaners (17.5 per cent). The most common signs were hypersalivation/drooling (53.9 per cent), tongue ulceration (40.4 per cent), hyperthermia (40.4 per cent) and oral ulceration (22.9 per cent). The mean time recorded for onset of the first clinical sign was 6.4 hours (range five minutes to 48 hours, median 4.5 hours, n=60), however, the VPIS was not contacted until 14.0±13.2 hours after exposure (n=120). This figure also reflects the time of presentation. The most common treatments given were antibiotics (82.0 per cent), fluids (50.2 per cent), analgesia (45.3 per cent), gastroprotectants (31.0 per cent), dermal decontamination (24.1 per cent) and steroids (22.7 per cent). 13 cats (5.3 per cent) received syringe or nasogastric feeding. Of 245 cats, 12 (4.9 per cent) remained asymptomatic, 230 (93.9 per cent) recovered and three died (1.2 per cent). The time to recovery ranged from 1 to 360 hours (n=67) with a mean of 100.4±82.0 hours (4.2±3.4 days, median 72 hours).
]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.102653hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.102653British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Research1769229229http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/230?rss=1
Day One Skills (DOS) were introduced by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in 2006 as a guideline for minimum skills required by a veterinary graduate. However, the RCVS anaesthesia DOS are broad and do not specify differences in skills required for different species. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine which anaesthesia skills were considered essential for day one practice by UK-based veterinary practitioners (GPs) and anaesthetists; and (2) to explore current opinions on veterinary undergraduate anaesthesia training. Questionnaires for veterinary GPs (QGPs) and veterinary anaesthetists (QVAs) were developed which asked general information on expectations of anaesthesia skills as well as specific expectations for the common veterinary species. Fifty-five UK-based members of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists responded, with a random sample of veterinary practices stratified by UK county generating 234 responses and a convenience sample targeted at more specialist veterinary specialities in the UK generating 161 responses. There was close overall agreement between the two groups of GPs and anaesthetists on essential anaesthesia DOS. However, expectations varied with species—greatest in cats and dogs, lowest in exotics. Many respondents commented that new veterinary graduates lack practical skills and should not be expected to be omnicompetent across all species. In conclusion, anaesthesia undergraduate training should prioritise essential practical DOS.
]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.102215hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.102215British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Research1769230230http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/231?rss=1
CANINE atopic dermatitis (AD) has been defined as ‘a genetically predisposed inflammatory and pruritic allergic skin disease with characteristic clinical features associated with IgE antibodies most commonly directed to environmental allergens’ (Halliwell 2006). Due to numerous similarities, several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of the canine animal model for human AD (Marsella and Girolomoni 2009, Olivry 2012).

In people, conflicting results have been published on the association between AD and the development of neoplasia; some studies suggest a protective effect of AD against the development of neoplasia due to a possible enhancement of the immune surveillance. Contrary, other studies have hypothesised that a chronic immune stimulation is at the base of the development of neoplastic diseases in people (Vena and others 1985, Hagstromer and others 2005, Wang and Diepgen 2005).

Recently, canine lymphomas have been established as...]]>

2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.102691hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.102691British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Research1769231231http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/231-a?rss=1
THE chewing louse Bovicola bovis is the most common and clinically important species of louse found in cattle in the UK (Craufurd-Benson 1941) and causes significant economic losses. Clinical signs of infection include pruritus and excoriation which may lead to alopecia, skin trauma and infection (Matthysse 1946), and hide damage such as spot and fleck lesions that cause losses of up to £20 million per annum in the UK (Coles and others 2003). Treatment is usually by the use of topical insecticides such as synthetic pyrethroid and macrocyclic lactone formulations. Recently, there have been concerns over the development of pyrethroid resistance in chewing lice (Ellse and others 2012, Levot 2012). Inadequate coverage of the body resulting from pour-on and spot-on formulations exposes lice distal to the zones of drug penetration to sublethal doses of insecticide, which potentially exacerbates selection...]]>2015-02-26T08:30:49-08:00info:doi/10.1136/vr.102777hwp:master-id:vetrec;vr.102777British Veterinary Association2015-02-28Research1769231231http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/176/9/233?rss=1
Effect of inbreeding on survival and litter size in dogs

G. Leroy, F. Phocas, B. Hedan, E. Verrier, X. Rognon

THIS French study aimed to assess whether litter size and longevity in seven dog breeds are affected by the degree of inbreeding.

Phenotypic and genealogical data on dogs registered by the French Kennel Club were assessed. The seven breeds were: Bernese mountain dog, bassett hound, cairn terrier, Epagneul Breton, German shepherd dog, leonberger and West Highland white terrier.

The number of dogs assessed per breed ranged from 1775 (Bernese mountain dog) to 39,080 (German shepherd dog). Average litter size ranged from 3.5 (West Highland white terrier) to 6.3 (leonberger). Mean longevity ranged from 7.7 years for the Bernese mountain dog to 12.2 years for the cairn terrier. In all breeds, litter size was significantly reduced when the offspring were more inbred. Litter size was reduced when dams were...]]>

The BVA officer team's activities in the week ending February 22 included the following:

The junior vice-president attended a round table discussion on effective water bath stunning for broiler chickens organised by Compassion in World Farming.

The senior vice-president took part in a teleconference with the BVA Scottish Branch. Topics discussed included Official Veterinarian training in Scotland, pig slaughter facilities in Scotland, bovine TB and the BVA governance review

The President attended the Western Veterinary Conference and a meeting of the International Veterinary Officers Council in Las Vegas. The IVOC meeting included discussions on current and future...]]>

IN further tribute to Raymond Leslie Butcher (VR, February 21, 2015, vol 176, pp 206-207), Kathy Beasley writes: Ray Butcher touched and influenced the lives of a great many people, both in the veterinary world and beyond. His knowledge, combined with a kind, easy manner, and a dance style second to none, meant he was popular wherever he went.

He qualified from Cambridge in 1976, possibly the first West Ham supporter to do so, and, after a year as a house surgeon in Glasgow, he returned to his Essex roots, accepting a partnership at the Wylie Veterinary Centre in Upminster, where he had seen practice as a boy.

A skilful surgeon and beloved by his clients, Ray soon showed he could turn his hand to anything, whether it was the circus passing through with elephants and camels, or a beached minke whale at the local oil refinery....]]>

Jack Reece and Sunil Chawla write: We are greatly saddened by the death of Ray Butcher after a long battle against cancer. We first encountered Ray in 1999 when, as the WSPA veterinary adviser (a role he undertook at some cost to his practice), he visited the animal birth control programme at Help in Suffering in Jaipur, India, as part of a subcontinental tour of street dog control programmes.

He soon took on the unofficial role of our veterinary guru and mentor. From this first visit onwards Ray was always keen to help our work. He was passionate about animal welfare and good veterinary practice, and he did all he could to help improve these throughout the world. He generously hosted a long period of ‘seeing practice’ for SC, opening not only his practice but his home to us and in doing so showed how a modern...]]>

IN tribute to Hugh Alistair Forshaw (VR, January 17, 2015, vol 176, p 77), Ian Cox writes: Hugh Forshaw graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh in 1975. The following year he moved to Jersey where, complete with his neatly trimmed moustache, he joined New Era Veterinary Hospital (formerly known as David Place Veterinary Hospital).

Although Hugh initially gained wide experience as a large animal vet, he was aware of changing trends within the profession, and in more recent years he focused on small animals, with special interests in cardiopulmonary and thoracic medicine and surgery. He was also very keen on the care of exotic species and his detailed knowledge extended to small furries, reptiles, birds and fish.

Hugh also devoted himself to the wild animals of Jersey. Long after his normal working day had finished he would look after injured and orphaned...]]>

Bruce Stephen Sutherland writes: My father, Duncan James Bruce Sutherland, who was always known as Bruce Sutherland, studied at the Royal (Dick) veterinary school between 1937 and 1944.

After qualifying, he had a short spell working in Cheshire and then, in September 1945, he moved to Hadleigh in Suffolk to join Don Lemon's practice. It soon became Lemon and Sutherland. When Bruce retired in 1982, the practice was renamed Highcliff Veterinary Practice and had 11 partners. It has continued to go from strength to strength since then.

My sisters and I hope to continue my father's legacy. He had been working on a birthing aid for cows for many years, and about two years ago we set up a company, Sutherland Partners, to try to...]]>

IT is important to understand that many of the scenes depicted in First World War photographs (‘Postcards from the Front’ by C. Trenton Boyd and Bruce Vivash Jones, VR, February 21, 2015, vol 176, pp 192-194) were produced with posed Veterinary Officers (VOs) and do not represent the conditions in which many of the mobile veterinary sections had to operate in France and Belgium. As the authors correctly point out, the mud and the winter weather caused more suffering than casualties from enemy activities.

I have recently been working through the war diaries of the Essex Yeomanry and of several mobile veterinary sections (currently Number 7), where the VOs recorded sickness and casualties among the horses and mules daily. Debility was a very common diagnosis and mange required evacuation by train to the base areas. Wounds from shrapnel or bullets were only a small proportion of cases...]]>

I WRITE to comment on the editorial ‘Palatal dysfunction in horses: where next?’ (VR, January 3, 2015, vol 176, pp 17-18) as well as the recent letter by Robert Cook (VR, February 14, 2015, vol 176, p 180) on thoughts concerning palatal dysfunction (PD) in horses.

I have some experience of this (these) ‘problem(s)’ and with the various modalities that have been used and recommended for their diagnosis and for surgical and other methods of management – both with success and with failure, as we all have! Watching current racing on television, I constantly hear that horses have had ‘wind operations’. What were the diagnoses and what were the treatments? In a lot of racing in the USA my observations are that 60 per cent or more of horses race with a tongue tie; in the UK it is less than 20 per cent. Do we have...]]>

WE are writing to raise awareness about the high number of cases of leptospirosis we have seen in dogs in the Somerset area since November 2014. The majority of these cases have been diagnosed on blood PCR and have been negative on initial MAT serology; those that have subsequently seroconverted were positive for the Bratislava serovar. Most of the affected dogs have been from rural areas and the majority have been vaccinated with a bivalent vaccine and were up to date with vaccination when they developed the disease. Some of the dogs were unvaccinated and none had received a tetravalent vaccine.

The cases have followed a wide variety of clinical presentations and courses. Some have presented with acute azotaemia, some with increased hepatic enzyme activities and some with haemorrhagic diarrhoea, without initial biochemical changes, but most have subsequently developed increased hepatic enzyme activities. Some cases have been...]]>

THE Board of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) would like to express its gratitude to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons following the recent announcement that the College intends to double its funding to the charity's health support programme to £500,000 over the next five years [see page 212 of this issue].

The support that the Veterinary Surgeons' Health Support Programme offers for issues related to alcohol, drugs, eating disorders and other health problems is highly confidential and, therefore, difficult to discuss publicly, but currently over 200 members of the profession are receiving support from the programme (mostly for mood disorders) and 2014 saw a rise of 28 per cent in the number of requests for assistance by the service.

This additional funding will allow the service to expand and employ another mental health professional and will also give it more scope to meet the specific needs...]]>

AS a veterinarian who spent several years working in abattoirs, it is with sadness that I read the recent articles in the press following the Farm Animal Welfare Committee report on CCTV in slaughterhouses (VR, February 14, 2015, vol 176, p 162).

What is even more worrying is the clam from Animal Aid that vets spent much of their time in offices and were often reluctant to witness animals being killed (Anon 2015). One of the justifications for full-time veterinary supervision at abattoirs was to ensure rigorous implementation of animal welfare legislation and the hygienic production of meat. The latter can be shared with meat inspectors but welfare has always been the prime province of the Official Veterinarians. It is to be hoped that the consequences of outsourcing veterinary cover to private organisations has not precipitated a loss of veterinarians' raison d'etre.